| RELEASE: CONTACT: |
IMMEDIATE Lou Hatter 540-829-7537 Louis.Hatter@VDOT.Virginia.gov |
CULP-2006-09 Feb. 14, 2006 |
TANK TRANSPORTS TO BEGIN MARCH 5
Schedule continues through April 2; motorists advised of overnight delays
TANK TRANSPORTS TO BEGIN MARCH 5
Schedule continues through April 2;
motorists advised of overnight delays
Pictures of fermenting tanks
CULPEPER – A convoy of trucks carrying some of the largest loads to travel on Virginia highways is scheduled to begin moving through Central Virginia on Sunday, March 5.
Lockwood Brothers, Inc. will move 40 stainless steel fermenting tanks from King George County to the Coors Brewing Co. facility in Elkton, a distance of approximately 100 miles. The size of the tanks, each of which is approximately 70 feet long, 21 feet in diameter and 70,000 pounds, requires that extraordinary measures be taken to ensure as minimal a disruption as possible to traffic along the convoy route. The tanks are part of Coors’ project to transform the Elkton facility from a packaging and distribution center into the company’s East Coast brewery.
After leaving the staging area in King George County the convoy will travel west on Route 3 through Fredericksburg to Culpeper, then south on Route 29 to Ruckersville in Greene County. From there the tanks will travel west along Route 33, crossing the mountains to Route 649 in Rockingham County. The convoy will then travel Route 649 to Route 340, where it will turn onto Route 340 and continue to the Coors facility.
The first tank is scheduled to make the trip on Sunday, March 5, leaving King George County at 12:01 a.m. The remaining tanks will be moved in groups of five during the early morning hours each Sunday and Wednesday throughout March, with the final convoy scheduled for Sunday, April 2. Once under way, the transport operation will be flexible dependent upon weather conditions.
Motorists who travel the transport route should expect delays as the tanks travel through in the early morning hours. When the tanks begin to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains on Route 33 shortly after dawn, Route 33 will be intermittently closed until the tanks clear the mountain crossing. Anyone who uses Route 33 between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. should take an alternate route on Sundays and Wednesdays while the tanks are being transported.
Portable message boards on the two-lane section of Route 3 east of Culpeper, on Route 33 west of Stanardsville and on Route 33 east of Elkton will advise motorists of traffic delays during the transports. The signs will be updated throughout the operation with information about the next scheduled transport.
The transport plan has been carefully coordinated to minimize the effects on local businesses and commuters. Virginia State Police will accompany the trucks to provide an escort and traffic control. Police in the city of Fredericksburg and several county sheriff’s offices are also providing personnel to assist with traffic control in their jurisdictions. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is responsible for ensuring that the transport complies with all regulations and assisted with the coordination of the operation to reduce travel impacts.
Any questions about the transport operations should be directed to Diana Jennings, Coors Plant Communications Manager, (540) 289-8211; or Lou Hatter, VDOT Public Affairs, (540) 829-7537.
Page last modified: Friday, March 10, 2006
